Dogfight (1991)

Director:

Nancy Savoca

Writer (WGA):

Bob Comfort (written by)

Release Date:

October 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Plot:

1963, the night before the 18 years old "Birdlace" Eddie and his friends are shipped to Vietnam. They...

Plot Keywords:

Game | Vietnam | Tattooing | Folk Singer | Marine

Cast

River Phoenix	...	Eddie Birdlace
Lili Taylor	...	Rose
Richard Panebianco	...	Berzin
Anthony Clark	...	Oakie
Mitchell Whitfield	...	Benjamin
Holly Near	...	Rose Sr.
Elizabeth Daily	...	Marcie (as E.G. Daily)
Sue Morales	...	Ruth Two Bears
Christina Mastin	...	Linda
Christopher Shaw	...	Donavin
John Lacy	...	Fector
Chris San Nicholas	...	Dogfight Buddy
Brian Gotta	...	Dogfight Marine
Peg Phillips	...	Older Cafe Customer
Neal Allen	...	Sgt. Judge
Ron Lynch	...	LCpl. Judge
Dale Garman	...	Restaurant Maitre d'
Bruce Pearson	...	Walter
Angie Utt	...	Thrift Shop Woman
Kenneth Utt	...	Thrift Shop Man (as Kenny Utt)
Julian Schembri	...	Navy Bill
Barb Benedetti	...	Alice
Ivars Mikelson	...	Bob
Brendan Fraser	...	Sailor #1 (as Brendon Fraser)
Matt Skerritt	...	Sailor #2
Dion Williams	...	Older Brother on Bus
Jason Moore	...	Younger Brother on Bus
Denise Williams	...	Mother on Bus
Kristie Gamer	...	Pretty Girl
David MacIntyre	...	Bartender (as Dave McIntyre)
Art Cahn	...	Bar Owner
Robert Munns	...	'50s drinker (as Bob Munns)
Jessica Wallenfels	...	Arcade Girl (as Jessica Wallenfells)
Bonnie Fox	...	Arcade Hooker
Sandra Ellis Lafferty	...	Crying Woman
Joseph Franklin	...	Crying Customer
Frank Walters	...	Newscaster
Jacob Luft	...	Neighborhood Boy
Constance McCord	...	Dogfight Waitress
Laura Vetter	...	Truckstop Waitress
Krisha Fairchild	...	Truckstop Cook
George Evans	...	Bus Driver
Jillian Armenante	...	Girl on Street
Anne Elizabeth Washburn	...	Friend of Girl on Street
John Fry	...	Marine on Bus
Albert Farrar	...	Corpsman
Rafael Orozco	...	Hippie (as Raf Orozco)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Don Berg	...	PX Marine (uncredited)
Dale Carman	...	Maitre 'd (uncredited)
Joe James	...	Sailor (voice) (uncredited)
Dewayne Luckett	...	Sailor #3 (uncredited)

Directed by
Nancy Savoca

Writing credits (WGA)
Bob Comfort		(written by)

Produced by
Richard Guay	....	producer
Peter Newman	....	producer
Cathleen Summers	....	executive producer
Llewellyn Wells	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Mason Daring

Cinematography by
Bobby Bukowski

Film Editing by
John Tintori

Casting by
Marion Dougherty

Production Design by
Lester Cohen		(as Lester W. Cohen)

Art Direction by
Daniel Talpers

Set Decoration by
Jessica Lanier

Costume Design by
Eugenie Bafaloukos

Makeup Department
Sheryl Berkoff	....	key makeup artist
Robaire Charbonneau	....	assistant hair stylist
Angela Nogaro	....	assistant makeup artist
Gordon J. Smith	....	special makeup effects (as Gordon Smith)
Jenny Stolee	....	special makeup effects
Bill Sturgeon	....	special makeup effects
Mimi Vodnoy	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Steven Stoke	....	post-production supervisor
Llewellyn Wells	....	unit production manager
Mark Yellen	....	production manager: San Francisco unit

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Kostenko Jr.	....	second assistant director (as Frank Kosteko)
Elisa Sansalone	....	second second assistant director
J. Miller Tobin	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Keith Bergman	....	construction coordinator: Chinatown sequence
Loren Corney	....	construction coordinator
Kirk Corwin	....	property master
Matthew Ebert	....	on-set dresser
Matthew Ebert	....	set dresser
John Harrington	....	assistant property master
Teresa Mastropierro	....	scenic artist
Kenneth Milfred	....	lead man (as Ken Milford)
Michael Perman	....	set decorator: Chinatown sequence
Phillip Schneider	....	scenic artist
Sarah Stollman	....	set designer
Suellyn Tackitt	....	set decorator: Chinatown sequence
Alun Vick	....	construction foreman
Gilbert Wong	....	art director: Chinatown sequence

Sound Department
Stuart Emanuel	....	sound editor
Mark Goodermote	....	boom operator
Neil L. Kaufman	....	sound editor
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Lisa J. Levine	....	adr editor (as Lisa Levine)
Tim Squyres	....	supervising sound editor
John Sutton	....	sound mixer
Peter Waggoner	....	sound re-recording engineer

Special Effects by
Ray Brown	....	special effects
Bob Riggs	....	special effects (as Bobby Riggs)

Stunts
David Boushey	....	stunt coordinator (as Dave Boushey)
Joe Finnegan	....	stunts
Gene Hartline	....	stunts
Scott Leyse	....	stunts
Kevin Leise	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mark L. Anderson	....	third assistant camera
Katherine M. Butler	....	second assistant camera
John Cardoni	....	rigging gaffer
Charley Gilleran	....	best boy grip
Jim Grce	....	gaffer
Christopher Hall	....	best boy electric
Victor Korte	....	dolly grip
Chris Lombardi	....	first assistant camera (as Cris Lombardi)
Bob Marshak	....	still photographer
Ivan H. Migel	....	grip
Thaddeus Wadleigh	....	key grip

Casting Department
Susan Dixon	....	casting: Seattle
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Elizabeth Yoffe	....	casting: Seattle

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurie Hudson	....	costume supervisor
Nancy Konrardy	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Jolie Gorchov	....	assistant editor
Tim Squyres	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Jeffrey Kimball	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Robert T. Chestnut	....	transportation captain
Jon McCarthy	....	transportation coordinator
Ed Ramos	....	transportation captain: San Francisco
Mike Sassen	....	driver

Other crew
David Bockmann	....	stand-in: River Phoenix
Jennifer Campbell	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Cybulski	....	script supervisor
Mitchell E. Dauterive	....	production coordinator
Dale Dye	....	military consultant (as Capt. Dale Dye)
Tony Grob	....	assistant location manager
Mark Haslett	....	production assistant
Robert Jarzen	....	adr loop group
Kerri Kroll	....	production secretary
Solomon J. LeFlore	....	production financing
Tasha Le Mel	....	production aide
Michael Leon	....	location manager
Mitchell Nyberg	....	production assistant
Brian Russo	....	production assistant
Frank Simeone	....	additional crew
Mike Stokey	....	assistant military consultant (as Sgt. Mike Stokey)
Mira Tweti	....	unit publicist

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (1992) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1996) (2001) (2007) (Finland) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Warner Home Video (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1998) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• Eastern Optical EFX  titles and opticals
• Epstein, Levinsohn, Bodine, Hurwitz & Weinstein  legal services
• Lake Union Cafe  catering
• Temptu  tattoos
• White Light Casting  casting: seattle

Runtime:

89 min | 94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:S | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Germany:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Trivia:

River Phoenix running down the street after he left Rose was the last scene shot and was not intended. It was added last minute when everyone noticed the skyline. River was told to run and didn't know why. He laughed through the whole scene because everyone yelled "Run River Run!"

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Through the rear window of a bus can be seen a "do not enter" traffic sign (red circle with a white bar). European style traffic signs were not approved for use in the U.S. until the late 1960s and installations began in the 1970s.

Quotes:

Hippie: [to Birdlace] How many babies did you kill?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Night in the Life of Vinyl Eddie (2007) (V)

Soundtrack:

GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL

A Perfect Film

I went to see this film because I am a River Phoenix fan, but when Ms.

Taylor appeared on the screen my breath was taken away. Never before

have I witnessed a more likable charater as well as an incredibly

sincere performance by such a young actress. I also was curious as to how anyone could tell a story about the Vietnam

war in a new way. Bob Comfort, the screenwriter is a genius as is Nancy

Savoca, the director. The closing scene is brilliant in its use of silence and facial

expressions. The war footage is minimal but poignant. This is a perfect

film and one of the best films eve